ICE HOCKEY: Belfast Giants confirm signing of Jonathan Ferland

The Stena Line Belfast Giants have confirmed the signing of Jonathan Ferland for the new season.

Ferland comes to Belfast from the Vienna Capitals where he captained the Austrian Hockey League side to the national championship in 2016/17.

The 34 year old from Quebec, Canada was drafted by the Montréal Canadiens in 2002 during the seventh round, 212th overall.

An offensively gifted forward, Ferland is a graduate of the QMJHL having played four seasons in the ‘Q’ with Moncton and Acadie-Bathurst before making his professional debut with the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs in 2003/04. Over the course of the next three seasons Ferland continued to hone his skills in the AHL before making his NHL debut with Montreal during the 2005/06 season.

He was an Assistant Captain with Hamilton for three years and helped the Bulldogs clinch the Calder Cup in 2006/07. The Canadian then transferred to the Austrian Hockey League for the first of his nine straight seasons there. Ferland’s Austrian Hockey League totals are 147 goals and 188 assists, good for 335 points in 401 games.

For those opening three years, Villacher was home for Ferland and he Captained the side in 2010/11. He then joined the Vienna Capitals ahead of the 2011/12 season and again wore a ‘C’, this time for three seasons in-a-row until his departure for Belfast.

Head Coach Adam Keefe on the signing of Jonathan Ferland: “In Jonathan Ferland the Belfast Giants are bringing in veteran leadership with him having been a Captain everywhere that he has played. He is a winner that will do whatever it takes to bring a trophy back to Belfast.”

“Jonathan is a power forward that will bring size & energy to our lineup who is gifted offensively as well. That is tough to find these days in a player. I am very happy he will be joining us in August.”